SURVEY: 9 in 10 Children Don’t Know Bananas, Strawberries Grow on Plants
Do you know where your fruits and vegetables come from? A survey of 1,000 British children ages 6 to 12 found that one in five didn’t know apples grow on trees, while more than 9 in 10 weren’t aware that bananas or strawberries came from plants.
The survey, commissioned by beverage company HONEST Kids, also found knowledge gaps when it comes to the ways many other common fruits are grown.
For example, 60 percent of those surveyed didn’t know grapes grew on vines. Similarly, four in 10 children thought cherries grew on bushes, vines or plants. Another 14 percent thought melons grow underground, and perhaps most shockingly, a stunning 95 percent surveyed had no idea how strawberries are grown.
Some other surprising discoveries: while bananas were the most popular fruit among British children, 93 percent don’t know that they come from plants. Similarly, 88 percent didn’t know that pineapples grew from the ground either.
Perhaps it’s not so shocking then that 3 in 10 respondents had never picked their own fruit before, while three-quarters had never visited an orchard.
If anything, the study showed that getting children out to a farm may do them some good…at least when it comes to surveys.
Here’s a look at the full list of results from the survey:
PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN WHO DON’T KNOW WHERE THE FOLLOWING FRUITS GROW:
Kiwi – 96 per cent
Raspberries – 96 per cent
Strawberries – 95 per cent
Cranberries – 94 per cent
Bananas – 93 per cent
Pineapples – 88 per cent
Grapes – 59 per cent
Apricots – 53 per cent
Blackcurrants – 50 per cent
Satsumas – 46 per cent
Blackberries – 45 per cent
Plums – 44 per cent
Limes – 44 per cent
Cherries – 41 per cent
Lemons – 41 per cent
Peaches – 40 per cent
Pears – 33 per cent
Mangoes – 34 per cent
Oranges – 26 per cent
Coconuts – 26 per cent
Apples – 21 per cent